Chapter 1 1.1 Getting Started Preinstallation The preinstallation process involves the following activities: • Selecting a site • Unpacking components 1.1.1 Selecting a Site Consider the following when selecting a site for your computer: • Determine the best site for your system. Cable paths should not run near equipment that might cause electromagnetic or radio frequency interference such as radio transmitters, television sets, copy machines, or heating and air conditioning equipment.
1.2 Features The basic configuration consists of a system unit, a monitor, a keyboard, a CDROM drive, a diskette drive, a fixed disk drive and a mouse. 1.2.1 Front Panel Figure 1-1 shows the system unit front panel. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 11 10 1. 3.5-inch floppy disk drive 6. Stop/Eject Button 2. 3.5-inch diskette drive eject button 7. Skip/Forward Button 8. Power button 3. Volume control 9. Power/suspend indicator 4. Headphone/Earphone Port 10. Network active indicator 5.
1.2.2 Rear Panel Figure 1-2 shows the system unit rear panel. 12 13 15 14 10 1 1. Game/MIDI port 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 11 9 9. USB Ports 2. Microphone-in port 10. Parallel port 3. Line-in port 11. Monitor/VGA Port 4. Line-out port 12. Add-on card brackets 5. Network port 13. Fan 6. PS/2 keyboard port 14. System power socket 7. PS/2 mouse Port 15. Power Switch 8.
1.3 Connecting System Components Do not turn on the power until you finish connecting the system components. The following sections show how to connect each component to the system. 1.3.1 Connecting the Keyboard Plug the keyboard cable into the keyboard socket on the rear panel. See Figure 13.
1.3.2 Connecting the Monitor Plug the monitor signal cable into the VGA connector on the rear panel.
1.3.3 Connecting the Mouse Plug the mouse cable into the mouse connector on the rear panel.
1.3.4 Connecting the Printer (Optional) If you have a parallel printer, connect it to the parallel port on the rear panel. See Figure 1-6. Figure 1-6 Connecting the Parallel Printer If you have a serial printer or other serial peripheral, connect it to the serial port (COM1).
1.3.5 Complete System Connections After connecting all the components, plug one end of the power supply cable into the system power socket. Plug the other end of the power supply cable into a wall outlet. Figure 1-7 shows the complete system connections.
1.3.6 Connecting Multimedia Components (Optional) Your system also supports optional multimedia features. Connect multimedia components as shown in Figure 1-8.
1.3.7 Connecting to the Network You can connect your system to the network via the onboard RJ45 port.
1.3.8 Connecting the Fax/Modem (Optional) Your system also supports the optional fax/modem feature. telephone line and handset as shown in Figure 1-10.
1.3.9 Connecting USB Devices (Optional) The USB ports on the rear panel enable the system to support additional serial devices without using up your system resources. To connect a USB device, simply plug the device cable into a USB port marked on the rear panel. See the following figure: Figure 1-11 Connecting USB Devices Most USB devices have a built-in USB port which allows you to daisy-chain other devices.
1.4 Turning On Your Computer After you have connected all peripherals and cables, follow these steps to turn on your computer: 1. Turn on all peripherals connected to the system such as the monitor, printer, fax, speakers, etc. 2. Press the power button located on the front of the system unit. When the system finishes booting, the computer is ready for use. 1.5 Turning Off Your Computer 1. Turn off all peripherals connected to the system such as the monitor, printer, fax, speakers, etc. 2.
1.6 Troubleshooting If you encounter a hardware problem, review the following suggestions before calling for service. General Failure • Are all cables securely plugged in? • Are all system components and peripherals turned on? • Is the system main power switch on? • Is the power outlet burned out? You may check this by plugging in and turning on some other piece of equipment. • Are any cables damaged? Are they properly routed and coiled? Entwined cables may cause signal interference.
Keyboard is Dead • Is the keyboard cable plugged in? Turn off the system unit and plug in the keyboard. Do not plug or unplug the keyboard while the power is on. Printer Doesn't Work • Is the printer power turned on? • Is the printer cable connected to the correct port (serial or parallel)? Is the pin signal interface correct? • Are your application and the printer configured for the same operating values? Be sure there is no conflict with any port and add-on card.
1.7 Error Messages In the event that you receive an error message, do not continue using the computer. Note the message and take corrective action immediately. This section describes the different types of error messages and suggests corrective measures. There are two general types of error messages: • Software • System 1.7.1 Software Error Messages Software error messages are returned by your operating system or application.
Table 1-1 System Error Messages Error Message Corrective Action Bad CMOS Battery Replace battery. Contact your dealer. CMOS Checksum Error Run Setup. See Chapter 3. Floppy Drive Controller Error Check and connect the cable to the floppy drive or controller. Floppy Drive Error Floppy may be bad. If not, check the floppy drive and replace if necessary. DRAM Configuration Error Check and modify DRAM configuration to agree with Table 4-1. Equipment Configuration Error Run Setup. See Chapter 3.
Table 1-1 System Error Messages (continued) Error Message Corrective Action Onboard Serial 1 Conflict Run Setup and disable Onboard Serial 1. See Chapter 3. Onboard Serial 2 Conflict Run Setup and disable Onboard Serial 2. See Chapter 3. Onboard Parallel Port Conflict Run Setup and disable Onboard Parallel Port. See Chapter 3. PS/2 Pointing Device Error Check or connect the pointing device. Contact your dealer. PS/2 Pointing Device Interface Error Contact your dealer.
1.7.3 Correcting Error Conditions As a general rule, the "Press F1 to continue" error message is caused by a configuration problem which can be easily corrected. An equipment malfunction is more likely to cause a fatal error, i.e., an error that causes complete system failure. Here are some corrective measures for error conditions: 1. Run Setup.
